Body greatly elongated, compressed to cylindrical. Caudal 
peduncle sometimes depressed. Head compressed, level above, Pre- 
maxillaries and mandible prolonged, forming long beak. Jaws with band 
of conic teeth and series of moderately large pointed wide set teeth, 
lower much smaller than upper, which are canine like. Teeth present 
or absent from vomer. Gill openings wide. Gill rakers moderate, 
lanceolate. Scales rather small, lateral line low, not forming keel 
along caudal peduncle, which sometimes with keel above lateral,line. 
Dorsal and anal nearly opposite, front branched rays highest and all 
rays joined with membranes. Caudal forked. Paired fins short. 
Species few, in tropical seas. Petalichthys Regan seems to 
differ in no way from Belone as here understood. 
Analysis of Species 
a . Belone. Body compressed behind vent; without lateral keels. 
B . Dorsal with 14 to 16 branched rays, anal 18 to 20. belone. 
2 
b . Dorsal with 12 branched rays, anal 13. 
a . Platybelone. Body broadly depressed behind vent or at 
peduncle; strong lateral keels present. 
Dorsal with 11 or 12 branched rays, anal 15. 
Dorsal with 15 or 16 branched rays, anal 22. 
capensis. 
caudal 
natalensis. 
Belone belone (Linnaeus) 
Esox belone LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, pt. 1, p. 517, 1766 
(type locality: European Ocean). — WALBATJM, Artedi. Pise., 
vol. 3, p. 87, 1792 (copied). — LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss 
vol. 5, pp. 295, 308, pi. 7, fig. 1, 1803 (all seas). 
